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Montelena Futures   RELATED LINKS   EVENTS   VINTAGE WINES   WINE STORE   GLOSSARY FUTURES/MONTELENA 2001 Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 94-96 Points "The greatness of this vintage is obvious in it's ripe, explosive aromas of creme de cassis, licorice, minerals, leather and earth. This super-concentrated blockbuster possesses a sumptuous, multilayered palate feel, great purity, high levels of glycerin and alcohol, and sweet tannin. For my taste, this is the finest Cabernet Montelena has ever produced." 2000 Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 90-94 Points "The impressive 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits a dense ruby/purple color along with sweet aromas of black fruits intermixed with supple tannin, and broad, expansive flavors . Full- bodied sweet, and accessible, it is a seductive effort that will provide enjoyment between 2004-2018." 1999 Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 95 Points "Boasting a saturated inky/purple color as well as extraordinary density of fruit and cassis, and huge tannin, body, and extract, it is a substantial palate-staining, long muscular Cabernet." The Wine Advocate, August 2002 by Robert Parker Jr. 2001 Estate Futures Pricing .750 - $ 70.00 .375 - $ 35.00 2001 Vintage Weather Report Crop yields were down due to the combination of early frost damage and the shatter caused by heat during bloom at the end of May. Thankfully, the quality was excellent. The last half of March warmed up nicely and we saw lots of buds popping up. However, April turned out to be our coldest month, with two cold storms, 6 days of frost protection and several more days of frost alerts. This was followed by a rather warm May, including consecutive days of 104ƒ and 103ƒ, causing some shatter in two of our biggest Cabernet Sauvignon blocks. Overall temperatures through the rest of the season were pretty mild with no extended heat spells. The mild weather allowed us to attain full maturity without excessive ripeness. Total rainfall for the year from November `00 through October `01 was well below average at 26.1". Bud Break Last week in March Bloom Most completed May 20-24th Veraison 65% - 95% as of August 9th Harvest We had forecast harvest to begin early because of the early bud break and a warm May. However, moderate weather during August and September slowed the ripening, resulting in a normal harvest time frame September 4th to October 12th. This year we began night picking with lights in some of the Cabernet Sauvignon blocks. It worked out very well, with much higher fruit integrity and cooler temperatures, resulting in cleaner fruit with less stem breakage and a greater concentration of pure fruit flavors. All the signs of full physiological maturity were evident, including nice brown seeds, loads of ripe fruit flavors, fully mature skin tannin, and deep color in the wine from the very first day. Yields for 2001 - Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Acres: 79.81 -- Tons: 162.01 -- Tons/Acre: 2.03 The Wine The ideal ripening period allowed us to pick each block at perfect physiological maturity. The resulting wine has classic aromas of cedar, earth, black olive, blackberries and cassis. The flavors are very rich, fat and ripe, very well-balanced with bright and voluptuous tannins. The finish is very lengthy and full with dense, sweet texture. This is a full wine. 2000 Vintage Weather Report The entire growing season was dominated by cool weather and spikes of intensely hot periods. Mid-season, June 12-14, brought among the highest recorded temperatures in Napa Valley history, with Calistoga registering 118ƒF. Mediocre vine growth in 1999 resulted in fewer buds than needed for a normal crop, and combined with some cluster loss from the windy heat in June made for a bleak year for the yields of our Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. However, the light crop, though slow to ripen, allowed us to harvest before the onset of wet weather. Total rainfall for the year from November 99 through October 00 was 44.45." Bud Break 29th of March through the first week of April Bloom Completed by the 1st week of June Veraison 75% - 100% Cab as of August 1 Harvest The 2000 vintage was long and slow. It ended up being the longest crush ever at Chateau Montelena- two long months. We started picking Cabernet Sauvignon on September 15th and did not finish the last of it until October 28th. The Cab was very stop-start with the cool season and light crops. At around 150 tons of Estate Cab we are looking at a vintage like 1987 for comparable yields. Yields for 2000 Acres: 79.64 Tons: 158.22 Tons/Acre: 1.99 The Wine The wines throughout are very high quality. As we write these notes in Early 2002 the wine has been ageing for a year to 14 months in barrels. The nature of the vintage is more elegant and stylish than recent vintages. While the `99 and `01 are super ripe, the 2000 ripened slowly, block by block and displays more soil and terroir character than a huge-fruit vintage. The wine is naturally very refined so it is receiving less treatment in the cellar. The nose is nice and ripe Cab, though more red fruits than black this year. As the young-wine aromas age out we begin to see the earthy, gravelly components and different flavors from the different soils. The body is layered with softer tannins. In summary, our very low crop allowed good ripening in a cooler vintage and produced an elegant, finely balanced and layered Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. For more details or to purchase Chateau Montelena futures please contact us at John Walker & Co: Tel: 415.986.2707 Toll Free 800-350-5577 e-mail: info@johnwalker.com

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